Still Life

Apples and Cheese

8x10

This has been a great week with art, and not all of it had to do with the act of painting. My wife and i had the chance to spend last weekend with Celeste Bergin and her hubby, David Burbach at Lake Quinault,WA.

The weather was a bit temperamental and included some high winds, which does not make for much fun as a plein air painter. However, we did take some nice walks that allowed David, a professional photographer, to take some nice photos of the beauty on the Olympic Peninsula.

Celeste and i did manage an indoor still life though, and that was great fun. Even in that controlled environment, we did deal with some struggles; Lighting and elbow room. It was pretty tight quarters, and even though i wasn't, it felt like painting in the dark. Coupled with great conversation, fun atmosphere and bright colors, this painting was a blast.

Also, this week i had the chance to spend an evening with a great friend and fellow oil painter, Bud Fields. Bud is creating a new style of rustic frame made from Blue Pine that really showcase his unique style of Landscapes, Western, and Wildlife Art. I also received a tour of his great collection of art and great workspace. Bud also gave me a great education on the importance of framing and its ability to enhance or detract from a painting, which was a super show-n-tell.

Saturday the 3rd, i am anticipating in the Clark Co. Arts and Culture Summit, which is another big step towards promoting this area's art scene.

A Mild Winter Scene

Greenway

18x24

My passion for painting runs hand in hand with my quest for finding subjects. I have spent some time exploring the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway and i have obtained a great affection for its beauty. While the amazing winter colors, interesting shapes, and lovely textures are mesmerizing to me, i find that coming up with a strong artistic composition can be a challenge at the BBCG; and in being a challenge, i am forced to exercise my vision, push my limits and forge ahead to the uncharted territories of my creative thoughts.

I think it's important that we keep learning, and growing, and pushing our boundaries as individuals - and as we keep thrashing at the thicket of our thinking, we start to see the world unfold before us in the vast sea of possibility.

Possibility you may ask..... not so much the possibility that i can turn out paintings like Korovan or Shishkin, but more the possibility that i can uncover the filtering layers of haze that blind me and reveal the raw, unedited truth of how i paint, how i see the world. Avoid the nagging tendencies to follow a worn path and blaze a new trail, my own trail. And if i do that, how can it be wrong?...

I know this may seem a bit of a charged statement, but i only say it to inspire others to keep honing their passions. If we don't know what that is yet, keep searching - and if we dig deep enough, i promise, we'll find it.

LaCamas Lake

Winter Oaks

8x10

This past weekend, i took the advice from a great friend and went exploring more of the LaCamas Lake Heritage Trail. I have painted there before, but only on the south end of the trail. This time, i started at the north end and took in some amazing beauty. The flat and wide path wonderfully winds through the trees and along the lake's many inlets to reveal very intimate scenes that gave me a sense of being in another world.

It was difficult landing on a composition, for they were everywhere. Which one do you do? Which one gets ignored while another takes center stage? This is the never ending question that plays round-n-round in the plein air painters noggin.

Thankfully, i did land on my star for the day, and really what it came down to was the amazing moss covered oaks that really struck me. It may have been the close proximity, or the backdrop of evergreens that really made the sea-foam green of those trees pop, but i wanted them in the composition.

I was also stunned by how many people use the path. There were countless runners, walkers, and cyclists who seemed happy to share the space with a painter.

Nature and art go hand in hand, but i think most people are quite surprised to see someone out painting, especially in a venue they frequent. Not that the scenery does not warrant being painted, but that, Wow, someones actually doing it. I know i would think its great, but then, maybe that's partly why i do it: Meeting nature on her terms, in her opera house.

It is always interesting and exciting for me to have the unsuspecting person stop to take a look at what i'm doing and maybe strike up a conversation - which did happen a few times. This is not always easy for a painter, for we tend to get pretty focused. So, going in and out of of those mindsets can be distracting, but it is a challenge that is necessary and will ultimately make us a more well-rounded painter.

So thank you to all those who showed an interest, and took the time to help me grow.

Click on the link to learn more about LaCamas Lake Heritage Trail.

http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/parks_trails/trails/lacamas_trail.asp

Academy Ruins Series

Academy Ruins III

6x8

One of my favorite things about the city of Vancouver,WA is its wonderful historical architecture; and of the list of great structures, my all-time favorite to paint is the old laundry building at The Academy.

The brick behemoth, that has been condemned for a number of years, may not be suitable for human habitation anymore, but its rugged character and adorable charm make it a painter's and photographer's dream. It's beat up brick, run down trim, and broken windows make it a joy to paint. All i have to do is pick the time of day, set up, and sling away.

Academy Ruins IV

6x8

There are so many compositions that i want to paint here, that i think i could use this building as inspiration for a number of years. One of the building's finest assets are it's exterior conduits. Along with the dormant ivy, the old pipes - that seem to run like a maze, make for some fun lines and add an interesting strength to a composition.

This scene here, in painting IV, i have had my eye on for a while and i am likely to paint this view again.

The Academy Ruins Series is turning out to be very special to me and i have three rules for it:

1) Must be 6x8 (or 8x6)

2) Must depict this building only

3) Must be painted plein air, alla prima

I am excited to paint other scenes of this building in larger format; they just won't get the unique tag of, Academy Ruins.

Along the Road

Milepost 131

8x10

This past weekend a stake was thrown in the ground, a tree was planted, and a Milepost was found. I officially have gallery representation; Art on the Boulevard in Vancouver,WA has taken me on, for which i am extremely excited about.

The road of following my passion for painting is filled with highs and lows, and is textured as much as a pizza painting.

(see posting of Steigerwald Gold for more on a pizza painting) http://michaellindstromartist.blogspot.com/2011/11/steigerwald-gold.html

This week is an extreme high, but it is not the final destination. Along the road of life there are occurrances that we will always remember as significant; graduation, marriage, birth of a child, death of a loved one. These are some examples of mileposts that can alter life or at least mark a moment in time. A moment in time from which there is no going back, we can only move forward. This is one of those weeks for me and what better way to express it than to paint it.

A great many thanks are owed to a great number of people who have helped me get to this point in my art career. No way did i make it here alone. And no way do i continue to improve without the help and support of friends and family.

Huge thanks to Kevin Weaver for taking me on in the gallery, and to my wife, Vicki, for believing in me and supporting me through thick and thin.

http://www.artontheboulevard.org/

Painting a Sunny Winter Scene

Winter Clearing

18x24

My trips to The Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway have harvested some great reference material to use in my studio work; the composition i used for Winter Clearing is one of my favorites. The numerous scraggly bushes, twisted trees, and killer colors are warming to my soul in the cold of winter, and i am hopelessly drawn to their power.

I have been gearing up to paint more in larger format and i feel this view of the fields, through the bushes and trees and on to the background hills, lends itself well to a larger forum to do its speaking.

Something occurred during this painting that i wasn't expecting though..... the scene depicted here was actually a bit overcast. While putting pigment to panel, i found myself using colors that would indicate a brighter day, and strangely enough i found it working for me... so i just went with it. This brings up an interesting thought: At what point does a painter recognize that something is working or not working? And what do you do with that? This leads to the big question....when is a painting finished?

I think it's critical to be self-aware; but that is not enough.... One has to be able to trust their own instincts, and then confidently act upon them. That might include shutting it down before a painting gets overworked. It might also mean that you revisit a painting after a period of time with a fresh set of eyes.

I know i'm not alone, when i say it's a struggle knowing when a painting is finished. It might be the hardest thing about painting, but no one can tell us when a painting is finished. That is part of the struggle and learning and growing process that must take place from within and will ultimately make us better painters for it.

I will never claim to be a great draftsman when it comes to painting. I will never have all my i's dotted and t's crossed. The important things i want to show up in my work are emotion, depth, texture, and passion. And, i think that's why people connect with art. They acquire a connection deep in their soul, with a certain piece of art, and that's when the inferno begins.

Painting the Snow

First Snow

6x8

SOLD

Tuesday evening after arriving home from a meeting with Northwest Oil Painters (around 9:00), i grabbed a bite to eat as the first serious snow of this winter started to stick on the valley floor. As the snow began to accumulate, i decided that i was going to go out and paint my first plein air snow scene; which happens to be something i have been anticipating for months. So, after i wolfed down my grub and chatted with my wife a bit; around 10:30 i loaded up my gear and walked down the block to go find my snow scene and paint it.

I knew i wanted Old Evergreen Hwy in the painting, but trying to layout the composition was a challenge. I landed on the corner of our street where the hwy makes a slight bend and has a couple street lights and some interesting trees. And of course the fresh coat of snow makes everything come to life.

There wasn't much traffic, but a snow plow did manage to get my attention as it rumbled by and obliterated the soft tracks. And my poor umbrella only collapsed once leaving my palette even more sparkly with a snowbank of its own.

I managed to stay warm and fairly dry the entire time, except for one thing........my hands. Holy Cow! My fingers were so cold that when i started packing up to head home, they couldn't even break down my tripod. I had to put on some gloves and work the knobs with the palm of my hand. I know what you're thinking, but i am NOT wearing gloves when i paint, at least not chunky work gloves, i need the dexterity.

I arrived home at 12:30 and tried to shake the snow off everything as best as possible and began the warm up of my hands. I was so wired from the experience that i did not go to bed until 2:00 - even though a full day of work was only four hours away. I say that, not to complain, but to explain the depths of what a painter will do to capture a moment in time - and i wouldn't have it any other way.

This nocturnal experience of plein air painting left me craving more snow - the fleeting and tranquil beauty it brings when it graces the valley floor is futile to resist.